Review of Trap Street (2013) by Matt M — 21 Nov 2013

Li is a young man who works at a digital mapping company. One day while taking pictures, he sees a young woman disappear into a secluded alley and instantly falls in love with her. After some time, he finally gets to meet her and the two start dating.

But after she mysteriously disappears, things start getting shady and strange. Considering the precarious state of Chinese independent cinema, the fact that Trap Street was even made is remarkable in itself.

However, Vivian Qu's first directorial effort in a feature film also deals with the delicate theme of state surveillance, one that despite its universal relevance seems particularly pertinent to China - and for that reason all the more brave.

Trap Street is not a perfect film. It is a slow starter and some of its plot developments are nothing short of puzzling. However, in its most inspired moments, Trap Street is quite an interesting and intriguing modern noir that sets a tone to a promising career for its young filmmaker.